Wounded Dream
by Mercury Amazon
Summary: Protoman's life story. Warning, casts Dr. Light in a very negative role. Also warning on some language Protoman uses. Hey, I tried to stop him, but do they ever listen to me?
1. Thesis of a Cruel Angel

Thesis of a Cruel Angel

Wounded Dream   
The story of Key   
Mercury Amazon, 2001 

NOTE: This story portrays Dr. Light in a very negative way. Please don't be offended by this, I merely took a different view of the world. I'm sorry if this angers some people, but I felt it necessary to take a different perspective. I mean, most everyone writes Dr. Light as a good guy. But what if he really wasn't? I attempt to explore this possibility in this fanfic. Warning, Protoman uses some bad language ahead.__

_Why is it that dear feelings are sharp thorns_   
_Why is it when we go astray they prick us_   
_Even if it makes petals bloom bit by bit_   
_Like a rose_   
_In fact it shakes my heart_   
_Love is scary_   
_I seem to break... (I seem to break...)_   
_Rather than embracing me_   
_I want you to understand some more_   
_Rather than give me kindness_   
_I want the strength to overcome loneliness_   
_Even unbeatable love_   
_I surely must have in my heart_   
_If it's a certain love I seek_   
_Someday I shall find it_   
_It makes me believe in the strength_   
_To go on no matter how things turn out to be_   
_To turn against destiny_   
_Why does sin stem from innocence_   
_Why does someone have to pay for ignorance_   
_Feelings make casual worries_   
_Complicated_   
_Choosing irrelevant words I make excuses_   
_I merely escape... (I merely escape...)_   
_If you will console me_   
_Scold me some more_   
_If you will forgive my mistakes_   
_Give me a wounded dream_   
_Even unbeatable love_   
_I surely must have in my heart_   
_If it's a certain love I seek_   
_Someday I shall find it_   
_It makes me believe in the strength_   
_To go on no matter how things turn out to be_   
_To turn against destiny_   
_-"Makenai Aigakitto Aru", Rockman X4_

Chapter 1: Thesis of a Cruel Angel   
Heart burning from the transparent farewell, I wish to meet you again next time around. 

Dr. Light wiped the sweat from his brow as he straightened, his back stiff from bending over the lifeless metal body that lay on the table before him. He'd spent countless hours on this new project of his. It was absolutely revolutionary for its time- a robot who could think and act on its own. Robots of this day and age were remote controlled, brainless metal husks. If all went as planned, this robot would be more like a man than a machine. 

He paused to admire his work. The robot's body was nearly perfect for the time. Synthetic skin that felt real to the touch, realistic hair as red as a rose, optics modeled to look like normal, gray human eyes… He was a work of art. And he only required a few more minor adjustments before he would be activated. 

It only took the good doctor a matter of minutes to finish up and close the robot's chest. He sealed the synthetic skin over the metal plates and called his partner, Dr. Wily. Wily had designed the experimental personality matrix for the robot. Light was extremely curious to see how it would play out. 

Wily walked in, looking like he'd just fallen out of bed. "What is it, Light? Don't you ever sleep?" 

Light glanced at a clock. It was, to his embarrassment, 3 AM. "Sorry. The prototype is finished." 

Wily yawned. "Well, that's good at least. Go ahead, turn him on." 

Light reached behind the robot's neck, pressing a hidden switch at the base of his skull. The robot's eyes snapped open, and he yelped in pain. Immediately, he covered his eyes. 

"Prototype, what is the problem?" Light asked. 

"The illumination in this room is too intense!" he complained, turning away from the light. 

"Stop it, Prototype. Your optics are fine," Light snapped irritably. "Stand up." 

The robot cringed. "My optics cannot handle this!" 

"Stand up! That's an order!" 

The robot hesitated, then obeyed. He rose on shaky legs, unsure of how to use this body. 

"What is it now?" Wily interjected. "Light, your design doesn't seem to be working out very well." 

"There's nothing wrong with my design," Light replied, irritated that the robot wasn't performing up to his expectations. "Come here, Prototype. I'll have to deactivate you." 

"Deactivate?" 

"Turn you off," Wily explained. "You'll probably need to reprogram it." 

The robot backed away. "No!" 

"What did you say?" Dr. Light snapped. 

"I do not want to be reprogrammed!" 

"Hey, could you keep it down in- oh my God!" 

The interjection came from a girl, about fifteen years of age, standing in the doorway. She was dressed for bed, her short black hair standing up in all directions. Her blue eyes were glued to the wincing robot. She dashed over to him. He jumped, startled by her approach. 

"Why are you hiding your eyes?" she asked. 

"The intensity of illumination is painful to my optics," he answered. 

"They must have made your optics oversensitive," she replied. "I'm sorry, I'm sure we can find you some sort of protection. What's your name anyway?" 

"I… do not know. I have been designated Prototype." 

The girl shook her head. "That's not a name." She glared at Light. "I'm not surprised you didn't think of what you'd call the poor boy." 

"He's a prototype. His life expectancy is two years at the best." 

"What?!" 

"Do you mind?" the girl snapped, crossing her arms. "Why don't you have some common courtesy and consider his feelings?" 

"He's a robot," Wily said. "He doesn't have feelings. I may be a genius, but even my personality matrix can't create what will never exist for anything not human." 

The girl rolled her eyes. This was an old argument for them. "I don't care. You brought him into this world, and I'm not going to let you just end his life because you don't like your work." 

"All right, fine," Light said. "He's your responsibility, then. I'll begin work on another unit tomorrow." With that, Light walked out. Wily followed a moment later. The girl turned off the lights in the lab, leaving only the dim illumination of moonlight through the window. 

"I'm sorry about that," the girl said. "My uncle's a good creator, he just doesn't understand the responsibility that entails." 

The robot nodded. "What… is my objective at this time?" 

"They didn't program you with an objective?" 

"No." 

"Well then… I guess you have to find your own path," she said. "That's the way it is for us humans. The world doesn't have any paths, but you can make your own. And if you go out with just that, the world will open before you." She paused. "Oh, sorry. I get kind of philosophical when I'm sleep-deprived." 

"Sleep?" 

"It's a dormancy period humans require for biological maintenance," she said. "By the way, my name's Ashitaka." 

"I do not have a name." 

"How about I call you Protoman?" 

"I suppose that will be sufficient." 

Ashitaka smiled. "Well… I don't know what you require, but I need to get back to sleep." 

"Where do you sleep?" 

"My room… I suppose you could come with me. At least there you'd be safe from those two." 

Protoman stepped back. "Do you think they would attempt to disassemble me anyway?" 

"Not while I'm alive," she said. "I'll take you to my room, but there are lights along the way. Close your eyes." 

Protoman complied. "How will I be able to navigate without sight?" 

"Give me your hand." 

"I do not wish to detach my limbs." 

"No, no, it's just an expression. Here, open your eyes. This is what I mean." She demonstrated. "Now, go ahead, close your eyes again and give me your hand." 

Protoman complied, mimicking Ashitaka's actions exactly. Ashitaka clasped his hand, surprised at how humanlike it was. He followed, trusting, behind her as she carefully made her way back to her room. He said nothing, which at this point was probably a good thing, considering Ashitaka's sleep-deprived state. The lights were still off in her room, which she informed him of when they arrived. The robot opened his optics warily, then looked around with interest. "What is this place?" 

"This is my bedroom." 

He wandered to a 3X3 Eyes wallscroll. "What is this creature depicted here? Why does she have a third eye?" 

"Her name's Pai, she's a Sanjiyan. It's a TV show, Protoman. I'll show you tomorrow." 

"What is this?" 

"A Sailor Moon doll. Please, Protoman, I need sleep." 

"What is this?" 

"A tennis ball. For the love of God, go to sleep!" 

"What is God?" 

"Protoman!!" 

"What?" 

Ashitaka sighed. "I need sleep, Protoman. And I can't sleep and talk at the same time. I'll talk to you tomorrow, all right?" 

"I was unaware. That is acceptable." 

Ashitaka yawned and rolled over. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.   


Protoman was sitting in the corner when she woke. She yawned and stretched, forgetting that her window was open and the sun was out. When she saw him turned away, she got up and pulled the shade down. "Sorry about that," she said. "I forgot." 

"You need not apologize. I am not harmed." 

"Still, it was insensitive." 

Blank look. 

"You'll probably have to get used to that around here." She paused. "Um, Protoman? Could you close your eyes for a minute while I get dressed?" 

"Are you not already dressed?" 

"Yes, but humans generally change their clothing once a day." 

"Why?" 

"Because clothes get dirty. You know, you might want to put some on." The good doctor had not seen the need to give his prototype any sort of clothing. Of course, the poor boy was not… equipped, which was painfully obvious now. 

"I do not possess any." 

Ashitaka looked through her closet, coming up with a black NERV t-shirt and red pants. "These should fit you." She handed them to him, and he stared blankly at them. She couldn't help but smile. "I'm guessing you need some help." 

"Your assumption is correct." 

Amused, Ashitaka helped him get dressed, then made him turn around so she could dress. She wore, as usual, a nondescript jumpsuit and tool belt. She was not much into fashion. Of course, considering her daily activities included class and repairing machines, she didn't need much in the way of fashion. "Okay, Protoman. I think I have some sunglasses around here somewhere, they should help." 

"Sun… glasses?" 

"They protect your eyes from light," she said as she searched her somewhat messy room. 

"Oh. What a useful invention." 

"Aha!" She emerged, triumphant, from behind her bed with a rather beaten-up, duct taped pair of shades. "They're not the best in the world, but they should help." She handed them to him, then figured she'd better put them on herself. 

Protoman touched them delicately, wondering if they truly could protect him from the painful light outside. He didn't have much time to wonder, as someone immediately knocked on Ashitaka's door. She answered it to a somewhat disgruntled Dr. Light. 

"I have decided what I will do with you, Prototype." 

"His name is Protoman," Ashitaka corrected. 

"Whatever. I admit that your design did not turn out as well as I had hoped, but you will be of use to me," he said. "I have decided to use you as my lab assistant. Your work begins immediately." 

"Dr. Light-" Ashitaka began. 

"As for you, Ashitaka, I no longer need your services. I'm sorry to let you go like this… but look at it this way. A young lady like yourself shouldn't be stuck in a lab. You should go home, visit your family, do normal teenager things." 

"What about Protoman?" she insisted. 

"He is my problem. Your parents will be here to get you this afternoon," he said. "Come, Prototype." 

Ashitaka bit her lip. She wanted to order him to stay with her, but she knew there was no way Light would let her get away with it. So she just sighed and began resignedly packing. 

Protoman hesitated a moment, not wanting to leave Ashitaka's room. He wanted to stay here, where it was safe and quiet and dark, but he had no choice. He was a robot, and he was obligated to do what he was ordered to. But… what if he didn't want to? 

Ashitaka didn't seem to notice his hesitation. Unwillingly, he began to follow the scientist, hoping she would say something. She never did.   


That day was the first of many days of painful servitude for Protoman. The good doctor wanted him always at his heels, like some sort of humanoid puppy. He never considered Protoman's photosensitivity. Always, it was order after order. Carry this, repair that, what do you mean you don't know how, etc. Protoman began to feel a rather unpleasant sensation he could not quite place. He found himself wanting to disobey, at the least. At the most, he wanted to slap the good doctor. This surprised him, since firmly imprinted in his brain was the conviction "Thou shalt not harm humans." Did that not forbid thoughts of hurting humans? Apparently not, and did that mean his directive was faulty? 

It was questions like these that kept his bored mind entertained during the tedium of the day's tasks. The monotony was only broken by the arrival of two older humans, a male and female pair that resembled Ashitaka. They must be 'parents,' he realized. Ashitaka did not seem happy to see them. They helped her take several cases outside to an unknown location. After they ran out, they thanked Dr. Light for his hospitality. The good doctor, gracious as always, commented that it was not a problem. Ashitaka said nothing. The parents bade the good doctor goodbye, and began to usher the girl out. Protoman felt compelled to speak up. 

"When will you be returning, Ashitaka?" he asked. 

The parents looked surprised he had spoken up. Ashitaka had an odd look on her face that he could not name. "I don't know, Protoman." 

"Oh," he said, puzzled. "Then… is this time to say goodbye?" 

"I'm afraid so," she said, looking away. "Goodbye, Protoman." 

"Goodbye, Ashitaka." He paused, surprised at another strange sensation. He did not want her to go. He felt an unpleasant, heavy sensation at the thought of time passing without her. He was confused, at the least. 

Ashitaka, for her part, was experiencing an odd condition of excess fluid leaking from her eyes. He was about to inquire, but she was gone before he had a chance. 

"Prototype." 

He turned his attention back to his odious master. "Yes?" 

"Don't speak unless spoken to." 

He felt a surge of the same emotion that made him want to slap the doctor. "Yes, Doctor," he said, a bit sharply. 

The doctor looked surprised, but did not comment. "This way, we have much work to do…"   


A year later, Dr. Light finished his second creation. It was another humanoid robot, this one designed as a young boy, about age ten. Protoman had been designed to appear older, around sixteen or so. Dr. Light had designed the personality matrix this time, sorely disappointed with the previous model. 

Protoman had not grown more pleasant during Ashitaka's absence. As he began to get used to his emotions, he found himself having to fight the doctor's conviction that he had none. He trusted his own feelings rather than the "expert" opinion of the same dumbass who built him with bad eyes. Which he never fixed. Protoman was condemned to wear double-thick shades to go anywhere near a window during the day. At night, he was all right, having built up a bit of a tolerance to indoor lighting. Of course it still hurt, which made him even more bitter and difficult. He couldn't find the willpower to break his compulsion to obey just yet, so he obeyed in sulky silence, or did as half-assed a job as he could get away with. 

On the date of his little brother's activation, he was busy with his favorite activity, hiding somewhere in the lab so the old bastard had to find him to get him to work. His place of choice was a perch in the big mecha hangar, sufficiently above ground so as not to be visible unless one looked up, which humans tended not to do. Protoman liked heights for that reason. 

A little blue-haired boy dashed into the mecha bay, causing Protoman to involuntarily tense. He relaxed a bit when he recognized the boy as the good doctor's new project. Sure enough, the good doctor entered a moment later. 

"Now, now, Rock," he said, laughing good-naturedly, "You should be careful in here. These are dangerous." 

"Okay," the boy agreed. Protoman felt a surge of a new emotion, one he understood in theory. But still, it was odd to be jealous of that kid. Did he really want the good doctor's attention? 

"Come on, Rock, let's try to find your older brother," the doctor said, unable to hide the distaste in his voice. 

"Why is he hiding?" the boy asked. 

"Your brother is a bad design. His flawed personality matrix makes him unsociable and a rather unpleasant sort." Protoman bristled. 

"Oh." The boy was completely oblivious. "Well, let's go then!" 

Protoman drew his knees to his chest, attempting to deal with the wild emotions tearing through him. On the one hand, he was jealous of the boy, being so obviously favored. On the other, he was hurt and angry at the good doctor's words. And there was always the underlying resentment, and missing the one human who had been kind to him. He believed he would never see her again, and looked forward to the end of his miserable life. Just one more year he would have to put up with this abuse… but then what? Would he simply… cease? If that was so, then why was he here at all? Was he born just to suffer? Was he only alive because some asshole scientist wanted to prove he could create life? And because of that, was he not entitled to his own life? 

He bit his lip, feeling a deep, burning pain in his chest. There was nothing physically wrong with him, as a quick diagnostic revealed. He'd observed that when humans were deeply upset, their eyes leaked fluid, as Ashitaka's had. With some concentration, he was able to order his own optics to produce too much fluid. As the robotic tears trailed down his cheek, he contemplated what he would do next. At some point, he would have to make his presence known.   


He revealed himself about two hours later. He felt hollow, almost exhausted from his earlier state of mind. The bitterness was still there, as always. He stalked back to his closet, feeling rather predatory. He hoped he encountered the stupid boy on the way back, just so he could torment him. Maybe he couldn't hurt the doctor, but he sure as hell had no qualms about hurting a robot. 

As he passed Ashitaka's old room, he saw the boy sitting on her bed. Irrational anger flashed through him. He stopped at the door. "What are you doing here?" he snapped. 

"Who are you?" he asked innocently. 

"I'm your 'unsociable older brother'," he mocked. "This is Ashitaka's room. What are you doing in it?" 

"Dr. Light said this was my room." 

The anger he felt before increased. "Well, it's not. This is Ashitaka's room, now get out!" 

"Well, where am I supposed to stay?" he asked with wide blue eyes. It made Protoman sick. 

"I don't care! Out!" 

The boy ran out of the room sobbing. Protoman, thoroughly disgusted, went back to his closet and slammed the door. Tears came naturally this time, tears of bitter anger. 

Ten minutes later, a furious Dr. Light opened his closet door. "You. Explain yourself." 

Protoman glared. "What are you talking about?" 

"Explain the reason my son cam crying to me in the middle of the night." 

Protoman fought to keep from flinching at the word 'son.' "Explain the reason why you gave him Ashitaka's room." 

"That is no longer Ashitaka's room. That girl is not coming back here." 

For a moment, Protoman's guard slipped. "What are you talking about?" 

"She is living a normal like she should. I'm sure she's forgotten about you by now. She's not coming back." 

Protoman felt weak, even though his body was in normal operating status. He forced himself to stay standing, not wanting to show weakness. 

"You will not leave this closet until I have decided how to properly punish you for your behavior." With that, the good doctor closed and locked the door from the outside. Protoman, enraged, immediately attempted to open it. 

"Let me out, you old bastard!!" he shouted, banging on the door. He threw himself at it, attacking it in desperation. For all he knew, he'd never get out of there. He felt even more caged in than he usually felt, like he had no room to move. He thrashed wildly, slamming into every wall in crazed fury. He was denting the walls a bit, but he couldn't punch through reinforced titanium. His systems, unable to handle psychological breakdown, began reverting to stasis mode one by one, until he dropped, exhausted, three hours later.   


His internal chronometer informed him when he woke again that he had been out for two days. His systems were running at less than half capacity, his energy having been used up in his panic. He had wrecked his recharger, which had been built into the back wall. He laughed bitterly. So he really was going to die here. Die alone in a closet, and the one person who ever cared about him would never know. If she remembered him at all. Maybe she didn't. Maybe humans were as fickle and callous as Dr. Light. Dr. Wily paid Protoman marginally attention, if any. He didn't even get Protoman's name right, calling him Blues all the time. He didn't mind as much, he preferred Blues to Prototype. After three months, Light gave up referring to him as anything but 'you.' And now, he was no longer needed. Perhaps that was his punishment, to die in a closet, forgotten and replaced. 

Tears came again, again with no effort. He leaned against the ruined back of the closet, where his recharger had once been. What a worthless life it had been.   


Two years later, someone bothered to open the closet. That someone was a young girl robot. 

"Oh my God!" she shrieked. "There's a robot in here!" 

Protoman's optics snapped open. He had put himself in stasis after the third day, if only so he wouldn't lose his mind. He checked his chronometer, bitterly angry at the results. He rose on stiff legs and dusted himself off. 

"Ahh! He's alive!" 

The good doctor came running at the girl's shriek. When he saw Protoman standing there, he looked absolutely stunned. "You… you're alive!!" 

"Yeah, I'm disappointed too," Protoman grumbled. He brushed past the girl, intending to walk out the door. 

"Wait!" the good doctor said. "How did you survive? Your circuits should have degraded! To the lab at once! I must see-" 

"I am not your doll," Protoman snapped. 

"What did you say?" 

"I said, I'm not your fucking doll, old man," he growled, turning on him. His gray eyes burned with rage. "You left me to die in there. Tell me why I should do a thing you say, you old bastard!" 

Dr. Light turned red. "You are my creation! You owe me your life!" 

"You already tried to take it. I think we're even." 

"You think you can survive on your own, you recalcitrant piece of junk?" Light challenged. "You were a mistake. My only regret is I listened to that stupid girl and didn't scrap you when I had the chance. Get out of here, you worthless pile of scrap." 

"Fuck you, old man," Protoman snarled, barely holding back bitter tears. 

"Out!" 

Protoman turned and stomped out the front door, ignoring the painful sun. As he was leaving, he could hear the girl asking who he was. 

"A failure of Dr. Wily's," the good doctor answered. "Don't worry, I built a better one to replace him. He's useless, don't worry about him. Forget you ever saw him." 

The tears came again, and Protoman started running. He had no idea where he was going, and it didn't really matter. Anywhere but here was fine with him. 

He ran for miles, ignoring the low power warnings from his systems. If he collapsed and died here, at least he would be free of Dr. Light. He ran until someone stopped him by a robot junkyard. A rather large someone, at that. He stood six feet tall, a good six inches taller than Protoman. He wore bulky purple armor with nasty looking shoulder cannons. His helmet was crested with a large, sharp crescent. He glared at Protoman, dressed in his dusty NERV shirt and red pants. 

"Where do you think you're going, little man?" the robot challenged. 

"What's it to you?" Protoman snapped. After gaining his freedom from one tyrant, he wasn't about to give it up to another. 

"This is my turf, Red," he answered. "No one trespasses without my permission." 

"My name's not Red, Tinky Winky." 

The robot leveled a cannon at him. "That ain't funny, Red. One more smart remark out of you and you get to meet the Ballade Cracker." 

"Ballade Cracker? What a gay name for a weap-" He was cut off as a powerful explosive blast tore into his chest, knocking him back a good four feet and ruining his shirt. His depleted systems were going haywire at this point. 

"Weakling," Ballade sneered. "In this world, only the strong survive, Red." 

Protoman was unable to respond, being in too much pain. He was unused to physical pain, and it caught him off-guard. Tears welled up in his eyes, which he couldn't restrain. Ballade laughed and left him there for dead. 

Protoman struggled in vain to rise and defend his honor, but the pain was too great. He did not have enough energy to repair the damage. Soon his systems would revert to stasis mode automatically to preserve his life. He wondered what was the bloody point. 

He lay there on a pile of dead robots, waiting to become one of them until the next morning. He closed his eyes, resisting the painful light. He heard voices coming toward him, but he didn't care enough to react. He lay there, waiting for the inevitable. 

"Hey, Sarah! There's something over here!" a female voice called. 

"Lorelei, wait up! What's so interesting in a junkyard anyway?" 

"Look at this one! He looks human, but look at how he's damaged!" 

"Hey, you're right!" Protoman heard them coming closer. He continued to play dead. He heard the one called Sarah speak again. "Looks like Ballade got this one." 

"It's a shame, he's so pretty," Lorelei commented. "I wonder if she can fix him?" 

"Oh come one, she could build a car with duct tape, cardboard, a rubber band, and a paperclip. Of course she can fix him. Let's get him in the truck. Hey, Enker!" 

A male voice replied. "Yes, Lorelei?" 

"This one here." 

"All right." Protoman felt himself being lifted carefully. He saw no reason to wake. He let whoever Enker was carry him to a darker place, where he was carefully laid down. He heard a door shut, and only then did he look around. 

He was in the back of a good-sized truck, along with a few other robot corpses. One was red-armored, with a gold V on his battered helmet. One was wearing a charred parka. Another had a large fan set in his chest. Protoman recognized none of them. He closed his eyes again as the vehicle started to move. Ten minutes later, they stopped. Enker once again picked him up and carried him into a building. Protoman was laid on a table, and he heard Sarah's voice. 

"Hey, this one's still alive!" 

Hurried footsteps. Then, Lorelei spoke. "Quick, put him out. He must be in terrible pain." 

Protoman was slightly nervous about this, but didn't have time to worry. Something forced his systems into stasis. 

Lorelei looked up at her friend, surprise clear on her face. "He was awake all this time? Why didn't he say anything?" 

Sarah shrugged. "I dunno. Ask Ashitaka, she knows robots better than me. I just collect 'em for her." 

"Someone mention my name?" Ashitaka said from the door. The years had been kinder to her. She had matured gracefully into a lovely young woman of eighteen. She still had the same fashion sense, though. Her face went slack with shock as she saw her next patient. "Oh my God, Protoman!"   



	2. I Don't Need a Promise

I Don't Need a Promise

2: I Don't Need a Promise   
Say, would you abandon a heartbeat even clearer than the blue sky?

Ashitaka worked feverishly to repair Protoman's wounds. She was unfamiliar with his systems, but she gave her best effort. He seemed rather oddly designed, as if the plans had not been quite thought out. She couldn't figure out for the life of her how some of his systems functioned at all. She had no idea how to repair his eyes without blinding him, though. She was better with biological systems than mechanical, but she still had considerable skill. 

She finished with him after four hours of work. She started the autorevive process, then went to check on Sarah and Lorelei. 

Sarah Martello had been Ashitaka's best friend since their freshman year in high school. Sarah, with her slight, muscular build and messy brown hair tied back in a ponytail, did not appear to be the type to know about robotics. Ashitaka had been surprised. Sarah was an athlete, good at any physical activity. She was also extremely intelligent, being a natural at sciences and mathematics. Ashitaka had been relieved to find another who shared her interest in cybernetics. 

Lorelei was different. Dark-skinned, ageless, and beautiful, the young gypsy seemed out of place in the modern world. She dressed in loud, bright colors, proud of her Romani heritage. She wore her messy black hair tied back with a blood red scarf, a single gold hoop adorning one ear. Ashitaka met her purely by accident, running into her on the street one day. Lorelei hadn't trusted her at first, but Ashitaka's kind nature won her over. Lorelei wasn't into robotics like Sarah and Ashitaka, but she believed in a robot's right to a life of its own. For obvious reasons, she took the side of the oppressed. 

Sarah was busy with what had once been Quick Man. He was looking better, but still in pieces. Lorelei was busy with the armor, applying a coat of crimson paint to the charred parts. Although Lorelei had no mechanical skill, she had many other talents. 

"Hey, Ashitaka. How's it going?" Sarah asked, not looking up. 

"I finished with Protoman," she said. "How's Quick Man?" 

"A lot simpler than Protoman, I bet," Sarah said. "One thing about Wily designs, they're pretty straightforward." 

"You would not BELIEVE how convoluted Protoman's design is," Ashitaka said, wandering over to look at the remains of Air Man. "I'm amazed he functions." 

"I'm amazed most robots function," Lorelei commented. 

"I know," Ashitaka said. "Protoman… it just seems like Dr. Light was guessing when he built him." 

"Probably was. He was the first, wasn't he?" asked Lorelei. 

"Yeah…" Ashitaka sighed. "He didn't even give him any armor. The remains of that shirt? That's what I gave him three years ago." 

Lorelei looked up from her work. "Is that the only clothing he owns?" 

"Probably. My uncle… well, he's different with Rockman. He treats him and Roll like his children. I never hear anything about Protoman." 

Lorelei snorted. "Probably a throwaway like that big purple bastard." 

"It's not Ballade's fault, you'd be bitter too if your master threw you away for failure," Sarah said, not looking up. "Ah, dammit. Ashitaka, you got some WD-40?" 

"Sure, look up for a minute and I'll give it to you." She handed Sarah the can, grimacing slightly at Sarah's oil-covered hands. Sarah never cared about getting dirty. 

"Oh, you're such a girl, Ashitaka," Sarah complained. "So what are you wearing to the prom?" 

Lorelei laughed. "Sarah, only you." 

"Oh, I don't know," Ashitaka said with a smile. "I doubt I'll go." 

"Not go? Perish the thought," Sarah said, attention back on Quick Man." 

"It's not like anyone asked me." 

"I'm going with Lorelei," Sarah said. "You know, a date isn't mandatory." 

"Yes, it is, were you not paying attention in class?" 

"Am I ever?" 

"And Sister Mary Andrew is going to freak out when you show up with a girl." 

"Hey, nobody ever specified what gender your date had to be." 

"She has a point," Lorelei said. 

Ashitaka shook her head. "Well, good luck to you. I'm staying home." 

"You can't just stay home all your life, you know." 

"Why not? All I want to do is work with robots anyway." 

"Ashitaka Noyana, do you want to turn into your uncle?" 

She bit her lip. "Point." 

"Sorry to go there, but you know…" 

"Yeah, yeah…" 

Meanwhile, Protoman was standing in the doorway, listening to their every word. He kept himself out of sight as much as he could, as he planned his next move. He noticed his ruined shirt had been replaced, which he was grateful for. Still, he did not care for confinement. He slipped away, unnoticed… he thought. 

Once outside, he decided the first thing he needed to do was get armor and a weapon. If he was going to compete with Ballade, he needed some way to defend himself. The robot junkyard was the only place he could think of to get materials. He headed in that direction, trying to think of a way to get past the behemoth. He was unaware of his shadow, who made her way silently behind him. 

He caught sight of Ballade a good distance away. It was then that his shadow announced herself. 

"Ashitaka will be upset if she has to rebuild you again." 

Protoman jumped and whirled to find Lorelei behind him. "How long have you been following me?" 

"Ever since you unwisely decided to desert us." 

"I don't want to be confined. I just gained my freedom, after all." 

Lorelei grinned. "I do understand. That's why I didn't stop you. However, there are a few things you need to know about living out here. For one, you've got to learn to be a little less obvious." She looked over at Ballade. "Lesson 1- the roof is your friend." 

Lorelei walked behind a nearby building, looking around to make sure they were alone. Then, to his amazement, she began to run up the wall. Lorelei paused halfway up. "You use the fire escape," she said. "You can make the jump." 

Protoman easily leapt onto the fire escape and ran to meet Lorelei on the roof. She tapped a jewel on one of her bracelets. "Gravity shoes," she explained. "My brother is good with cybernetics, just like Ashitaka." 

"Does she know?" 

"No. Romani never tell all their secrets." She moved to the edge to survey their surroundings. "There's another building we can jump to. We'll take that way and drop down behind Ballade. He never ventures too far from the entrance." 

"How do you know?" 

"I've done this before." She took a few steps back. "You ready?" 

"I guess." 

Lorelei took a running start and sprang off the roof. To his amazement, she landed safely on the other side. Protoman took a running leap as well, and landed ungracefully beside her. 

Lorelei couldn't help but grin. "We have to work on your style, boy." 

"Right…" He rose. "Now what?" 

"This way." She ran over to the edge and slid down the side of the building. Protoman, figuring he was tough enough to take such a fall, just jumped. He crashed, hearing his left leg snap on impact. A diagnostic revealed that his metallic skeleton had degraded during his inactivity. A section of his leg had been corroded, and the impact had broken the weak metal. 

Protoman cursed, once again overcome by physical pain. And once again, he could not keep from crying. Lorelei was shocked. 

"Are… you all right?" she asked. 

"My leg is broken." 

"I didn't think that was possible." 

"I spent two years decomposing in a closet," he said through gritted teeth. "I'm not in great shape." 

"How… is it you're crying?" 

"It hurts, dammit!" 

"Right, right… can you walk?" 

"I don't know. OW!" 

"I take that as a no. Dammit," she spat. 

"Well well. What have we here," Ballade's voice sneered. "Oh, how sweet, Red. You found yourself a friend. Too bad she's street trash." 

"I'll show you street trash, you cocky son of a bitch," Lorelei snapped. From a hidden pocket, she withdrew a cylinder. With a twist, she was holding an energy blade. Protoman was mildly surprised- such weapons were rather hard to come by. "Protoman, get back." 

Having no desire for further ass-kicking, Protoman limped back toward the building. Lorelei let out a battle cry and charged. Ballade easily dodged, but she turned and clipped him with a backhanded strike. It sliced through his armor easily. Ballade yelped, unused to being injured. Lorelei jumped back before he could strike her. 

"You'd better be careful who you attack, Ballade," she sneered. "Rockman's here, and he's going to make you a permanent part of the junkyard." 

Protoman and Ballade both looked around in shock, finding indeed the blue boy heading in their direction. Lorelei took advantage of his distraction to grab Protoman and run. He limped as fast as he could, ignoring the pain in his useless leg. She led him down a back alley, to an unmarked door. She knocked three times and said a word he didn't recognize. The door opened, and a large dark-skinned man ushered them in. He easily picked up the amazed Protoman and took him to a small room full of machinery. Another gypsy man was inside, fiddling with a half-dissected Hat Demon (Metool). 

"Hi, uncle Clopin," Lorelei said. "My friend here was injured. Can you fix him?" 

"I'll see." He set aside the Hat Demon and moved to Protoman. "What's your name, boy?" 

"Protoman." 

"Can't be! You're supposed to be dead!" 

"Well, I'm not, to my creator's great disappointment," he said dryly. 

Clopin shook his head. "Well, let's have a look at you anyway." He began scanning, occasionally shaking his head in disbelief at what he saw, but not saying much. 

Protoman turned his attention to Lorelei. "How is is you saw Rockman before either of us robots?" 

"Because I put him there," she answered. "He was an illusion. It's a talent of mine." 

"Talent?" 

"All of us here have a special ability. My uncle is a mechanical genius. My gift is illusions," she said. "And no, Ashitaka doesn't know that either." 

"Then why are you telling me?" 

"It was necessary to save your life. And you asked. It's not like I wouldn't tell them if they asked. That's the first rule of survival as one of us: don't volunteer information." 

Protoman nodded. "I don't plan to, but if I don't get some armor or weapons, it's not going to matter much." 

"I think I can help you out, boy," Clopin said. "Granted, I understand very little about your systems or why you're even functional now after all this time, but I think I can give you some sort of weapon capability. Armor is no problem." 

"Why?" he asked suspiciously. "Why help me?" 

"Because, dear boy, you are an outcast. We outcasts have to stick together if we're going to survive." 

Protoman looked to Lorelei, whose expression was blank. She seemed to be waiting for his reaction. "I… suppose so. You'll forgive me if I'm not exactly trusting of humans." 

"Granted, I don't understand why, but all right. I'm sure a levelheaded boy like yourself has his reasons," Clopin said. "Besides, a bit of paranoia will do you good out here."   


For the next week, Protoman stayed with the gypsies. Clopin upgraded his systems as much as he could. Lorelei managed to steal enough scrapped parts from Ballade to make body armor for Protoman. She also taught him the fine art of stealth, which was admittedly hard for someone with blood red hair. Still, Protoman caught on rather quickly. She also taught him other fine arts, like sleight of hand and petty thievery. Lorelei was rather resourceful and quick-witted, which had saved her from many a tight spot. 

Protoman for his part appreciated all the help he could get. While Lorelei taught him survival, he absorbed all he could from Clopin about his own systems and how to repair others. He knew he wouldn't be with the gypsies forever, and he'd eventually have to take care of himself. He was planning to leave on his own soon anyway. Human company, while not as unpleasant as Dr. Light, still grated his nerves a bit. There was a part of him that always longed for solitude. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Light and Dr. Wily were working together once more, this time to build a giant peacekeeping robot. He heard through Lorelei that Sarah had been asked to help, but she had laughed in their faces and refused. Ashitaka similarly declined. Rockman was being sent out to retrieve parts from "rogue" androids. Sarah said if they were truly independent rogues, then her name was Sailor Venus. Protoman failed to understand, but had learned by now not to ask. 

He found himself thinking more and more about Ashitaka. It was always on the tip of his tongue to ask Lorelei about her, but he always held back, waiting for her to bring up the subject in her own time. Although he knew Light was a lying bastard, part of him still feared he'd been right about Ashitaka forgetting him. He wasn't ready to face her yet. 

Ashitaka for her part was upset that Protoman had vanished. Lorelei told her that she and her people were watching him, and that they'd make sure he was okay. She left out the part about Ballade and the broken leg, figuring it best not to worry the poor girl. She assured Ashitaka that Protoman was functioning fine, and that her uncle could fix him if something went wrong. Still, Ashitaka worried. 

She was in her lab, dressed in a jumpsuit she couldn't remember the original color of on the day of the prom. Her latest project, Ice Man, lay half finished on the table before her. She didn't notice Quick Man's arrival. 

"Mistress Ashitaka?" 

She jumped. "Quick Man, you don't have to call me that." 

"I know, Mistress. May I say… you seem rather distracted today." 

"I'm worried about Protoman," she said. "I mean… what must he be going through out there, listening to all this crap about how great Rockman is." 

"I admit that Rockman is far from my favorite person, but I don't understand why Protoman would have a reason to hate him. Was he also destroyed by Rockman?" 

"No… not physically. Rockman was his replacement. If I know my uncle, he probably just forgot about Protoman." 

"Hm. He seems a rather cruel man to just forget one of his own creations. Then again, Wily did send us all out to die, resurrect us, and have us die again." 

"It sucks to be a robot," she said tiredly. 

"If you believe that, then why do you revive us?" 

"I… want you to at least have a chance to live. It's not right to bring a life into the world and then expect to control it forever." 

"I agree." 

"Protoman… I've never forgotten about him. My uncle always had excuses to keep me out of his lab. He even gave me my own lab so I'd stop pestering him to visit. But he didn't understand, it was because I wanted to see Protoman again." She sighed. "He probably thinks I don't care about him." 

"How long has it been since you saw Protoman, Mistress?" 

"Three years," she said. "According to my uncle, he wasn't supposed to live this long." 

"Is that why you are concerned?" 

"Partly. Partly I just want to apologize for never visiting. And partly because I worry about him." 

"Why do you worry about him?" 

"Because… I know my uncle hasn't been kind to him. I worry about the poor boy's psychological state." 

"Robots do not have psychological states, Mistress." 

"Don't start with me, Quick Man, I'm not in the mood." 

"Precisely," came Lorelei's voice from the door. "Ashitaka, why aren't you dressed?" 

"We've been through this before, Ashitaka. I-" 

"Don't have a choice," Lorelei finished for her. "I asked a friend to do me a favor, and now you have a date." 

"What? Who?" 

"Let's just say you won't be disappointed. Let me guess, you don't even have a dress." 

"Do I look like I own a dress?" 

Lorelei sighed. "Dear God, you are female, you know." 

Blank stare. 

"Fine… if you insist, we'll do this the hard way."   


Protoman waited impatiently as Clopin and Michael, another gypsy friend of Lorelei's, dressed him in a rather uncomfortable suit. Protoman complained the entire time until Clopin threatened to put him in a dress. That shut Protoman up rather quickly, but he was still disgruntled. He sat in a corner and sulked until Lorelei returned. 

She was dressed in crimson, in defiance of the nuns at Sarah and Lorelei's school. She made sure she looked as gypsy-ish as possible, for extra effect. Sarah wore a suit, for pretty much the same reason. 

"Come on, Protoman," Lorelei said, ignoring his belligerent look. "She's waiting for you." 

Protoman rose grudgingly. "I still don't understand what I'm supposed to do at this stupid thing." 

"Don't worry, neither does she," Lorelei said. "Now go get in the car, they're waiting." 

Lorelei practically shoved him out to the car, where Sarah was waiting behind the wheel. In the backseat, staring out the opposite window, was a cleaned-up Ashitaka in a very simple blue dress. Protoman felt conflicting emotions, not all of which he understood. On the one hand, he was glad to see her. But he worried that she hadn't seen him in so long because she forgot him. He was unsure of how to react to seeing her again, especially since she had changed quite a bit since he'd last seen her. She looked… like a woman. He felt something else, something so strange he couldn't place it. He found himself wanting to be with her, even though he felt so confused about her. 

"She doesn't bite, you know," Lorelei said. "Now go on, get in!" She gave him a push toward the door. Hesitantly, he opened it. 

"Hello, Ashitaka," he said uncertainly. 

Ashitaka jumped at the sound of his voice. She looked surprised for a moment, but it faded quickly. Her face became unreadable. "Protoman. It's been a while." 

"Come on, get in already!" Sarah said from the front. "We're gonna be late!"   


The nuns were sufficiently scandalized by Lorelei and Sarah. They didn't say anything to Ashitaka and Protoman, not recognizing Protoman as a robot. While Sarah and Lorelei socialized and danced, Ashitaka and Protoman sat in uncomfortable silence most of the night. 

Toward midnight, Ashitaka began to get restless. Protoman noticed. "You… want to leave?" he asked. 

"I wanted to leave three hours ago," she said. "But Sarah has the car keys." 

"Well, I don't need a car to travel… but I'm sure you're tired, I could carry you if you wanted. Not that I'm trying to be rude or anything-" 

"I'm sorry," she said suddenly. 

"Huh?" 

"I'm sorry I never came back." She looked extremely uncomfortable, staring ahead of her without looking at Protoman. "I… I didn't forget about you, I just never could come back. My uncle would keep making excuses… it's like he wanted to keep me from you." 

Protoman crossed his arms. His expression was deliberately blank. "I see." 

"Please, you have to believe me. I never wanted to leave you there with them. I knew they'd be cruel to you." 

"You were right." Flat, emotionless tone. "Perhaps we should talk about this somewhere else?" 

"I… Well, we could go back to my lab." 

"That's fine. Where is it?" 

She told him. Without saying goodbye to Lorelei or Sarah (like they would notice), they left. Protoman used the tops of buildings to make his way there, much more sure of himself now that he'd had practice (and now that he was slightly better constructed). They made it to Ashitaka's lab in ten minutes. 

"I hope you don't mind, but I want to change out of this before we do anything," she said when they arrived. 

He shrugged. "Suit yourself." Two minutes later, Ashitaka emerged dressed like he remembered. He couldn't help but grin. 

"No, my fashion sense hasn't changed at all since back then," she said. "I doubt it ever will." 

"I don't understand fashion anyway." 

A moment of uncomfortable silence. "Well… how is it that you came to be free?" she finally asked. 

"The good doctor put me in a closet for two years and forgot about me," he said, bitterness clear in his voice. "One of his new robots found me and let me out. I decided not to stick around." 

"My God," she said, shaking her head. "I had no idea… If I had, I certainly would have rescued you." 

Protoman said nothing. 

"It must really hurt you, the way he treats Rockman." 

He shrugged. "I don't care. I don't want the old bastard's attention." 

"What do you want, then?" 

"I want to keep on living free." 

She nodded. "I'm sure… Lorelei can help you with that." 

"She taught me how to get along." 

"Well… if you ever need to be fixed…" 

"Clopin's fixed me up rather nicely." 

"Oh," she said quietly. "Well, I guess you don't need me at all." 

Protoman said nothing once more, this time because for the life of him he didn't know what to say, it was a true statement, but somehow he felt saying it would be the wrong thing to do. 

"That's okay, I have my work here," she said, indicating Iceman. "You can recharge here if you like." 

"Actually, I don't need to recharge, really," he said. 

"How is that?" 

"I put myself into stasis at regular intervals to rebuild my energy." 

"You sleep," she said, sounding amazed. "You really are something else, Protoman. Well, you can stay here tonight instead of out there in the cold. If you get bored, Quick Man and Enker should be around here somewhere. I'm going to sleep… if you don't mind." 

Protoman shrugged. "Whatever you want." 

"I see… well, good night." 

Protoman nodded, and headed to a spare table. Oblivious to Ashitaka, he stretched out and went into stasis. 

Ashitaka, feeling defeated and rather useless, went back to her room and climbed into bed. She'd failed to protect Protoman in the beginning, and now there was absolutely nothing she could do for him. She resigned herself to the very likely fact that she would never see him again. Damn her uncle, he'd managed to take him away from her again. 

She did not sleep that night.   


The next morning, she rose at about seven or so, unrested and feeling rather depressed. She didn't bother to change. When she went back to the room where she'd left Iceman, she saw Protoman and Quickman watching the news. It seemed that Rockman was in trouble, Wily having shown his true colors and used the peacekeeping robot for evil ends. 

"Good morning, Mistress Ashitaka," Quickman said. "Mistress Sarah hasn't arrived yet." 

"I wouldn't expect her today, and you don't have to call me that, Quickman." 

"I know, Mistress." 

On the screen, a massive robot fist slammed into little Rockman, who became suddenly embedded in a building. Quickman was unreadable as usual, Protoman smirked. Despite the number of robots she'd had to repair because of that boy, she felt sorry for him. He was undoubtedly going to be killed. 

"Quickman, Protoman, maybe you ought to help him," she suggested. 

Protoman looked at her and laughed. "You've got to be out of your mind." 

"Protoman, that boy is going to die out there." 

"So? Better there than in a closet." 

"Has he ever done anything to you?" 

Silence. 

"Look, I know my uncle was cruel to you, and I know you have a reason to hate Rockman. But just because my uncle hurt you, does that mean you can let that boy be horribly killed?" 

"Yes." 

"Fine," she snapped. "If you two won't go, then I'll have to do it." 

"No!" Protoman said sharply. "Don't be silly, you'll be killed." 

"Well, someone has to do it. And if you won't, then I guess it's got to be me." 

Steel gray met ice blue in a lethal staring match. Finally, Protoman sighed in resignation. "All right, all right. I'll help him if you promise to stay here where it's safe." 

She nodded. "Agreed." 

Without another word, he walked out the door. Leaping to the roof, he began running back to his part of the gypsies' hideaway, where his armor was stored. He donned it as quickly as possible and readied his arm cannon. That foolish human girl, what was she thinking? If Rockman died, so what? Not like anyone had cared to save him from the closet. Why should he not just stay here until the blue brat was dust? 

But then Ashitaka would go out and try to save him. Try as he might, he couldn't bear the thought of her being crushed by those gargantuan fists, trying to save someone who didn't deserve it. Annoyed with himself and her, he took off at top speed for the location he'd last seen Rockman. 

It was not hard to find him. All he needed to do was follow the trail of destruction to an abandoned factory. Rockman, badly injured, was fighting what he must have thought was valiantly against the behemoth, but to the casual observer it looked like he was practicing his double axels without the benefit of ice skates. Protoman shook his head and wondered what possessed Wily to make such a moronic weapon. The saddest thing of all was that this weapon was working. Protoman stood back for a moment, overwhelmed by disbelief at what he was seeing. The moment passed as the behemoth fell, taking many ceiling parts with him. 

Protoman darted through the rubble, finding the old scientist and pulling him out first. Granted, he was allegedly the bad guy, but Wily hadn't been so heinously evil to Protoman. He'd never gotten his name right, but at least he'd given him an actual name. Once Wily was free, he turned his attention to the blue brat, who was pinned beneath a large piece of ceiling. Protoman lifted it easily and pulled Rockman out from under it. He dashed out of the collapsing building just in time to avoid his own miserable demise, to face a worse fate: reporters. 

"Rockman! Who is this mysterious stranger? Is he Light's new creation?" 

"Rockman! Where is Dr. Wily?" 

"Rockman! Can I have a statement?" 

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" Protoman demanded. "A giant robot was rampaging! A building fell down! Why are you still here?" 

"Rockman! Are you interested in appearing on the Jerry Springer show?" 

"Screw you guys, I'm going home," Protoman said. He leapt up a fire escape and proceeded to run like he was being chased by the hounds of hell. (Well, close enough) 

He arrived with great reluctance at Light's lab. Unfortunately for him, Light answered the door. Protoman tossed the unconscious blue robot at him. "I found this is a collapsing building," he said coldly. 

"You… saved him?" 

"Yes, what's it to you?" 

"I…" The old man looked uneasy. "I never thought you had it in you." 

"You never thought a lot of things about me. Like how to fix my eyes, or to let me out of that goddamned closet." 

"I promise I'll repair your eyes in return for saving my Rockman," he said. 

"Stick in your ear, old man. I don't need your promises." With that, he turned and walked away. 

"Fine!" Light called after him. "Suffer then!" 

Protoman leapt to the top of a building and was gone. At that point, Rockman was waking. 

"Dr… Light?" he said weakly. "Who… was that?" 

"That was my first creation," he said distastefully. "A failed experiment." 

"What… was his name?" 

"It doesn't matter. Come on, we need to fix you up." 

From her window, Roll watched the unwanted son walk away into the cold morning sun.   



End file.
